Victims and Families Greet Pradas and Argüeso with Shouts of 'Murderers'

Dozens of people, mostly victims and families of the deceased, belonging to the three associations affected by the floods, gathered this Friday at the gates of the City of Justice in Valencia to await the arrival of former councillor Salomé Pradas and former regional secretary of Emergencies, Emilio Argüeso, both under investigation in the dana case.

Pradas arrived around 9:15 a.m. and was met with shouts of 'murderers', in plural, as the swarm of media surrounding her made it impossible to discern if Argüeso, who was scheduled to arrive later at 12:30 p.m., was also entering. He arrived at the judicial headquarters half an hour later. There was some tension as some protesters managed to get closer, almost mingling with the media. When asked by journalists if he felt abandoned, he responded briefly with 'a bit'. Argüeso stated he would make statements after his appearance.

Upon Pradas' arrival, some family members managed to get as close as the entrance door, guarded by the Civil Guard, once the former councillor was inside. She had to endure shouts such as 'coward', 'we want justice', or 'you will pay for this'.

In Argüeso's case, the police corridor was less efficient (most officers were positioned at the entrance to the City of Justice), causing a crowd of media and some gathered individuals that hindered the suspect's passage. He was met with the same shouts, and a megaphone was used to sound the ES Alert system alarm.

Among the attendees, there were t-shirts, posters, and photographs remembering their deceased loved ones. Faces were serious and emotional, if not overwhelmed by tears.

The protest was also supported by local emergency and reconstruction committees, leading chants at the administrative headquarters' doors, such as 'Mazón to prison, Consell resignation'.